Corrine Allen was honored by Waterford Village Elementary School on Friday for her 49 years of service. This will be her last year working for the district. Elizabeth Crenshaw - Special to The Oakland Press

Helping kids cross busy streets before or after school means serious business.

Corrine Allen, a crossing guard for Waterford Village Elementary, has done just that for nearly 50 years. But, when this school year ends, so will her decades-long career. This is because the elementary school, which was built in 1910, will permanently close in June for economic reasons.

“I love my job. I’m not sure what I will do now that it will be coming to an end,” says Allen, 75. “I will probably babysit both of my great-grandchildren to pass the time away. ... I wonder if I can keep my stop sign?”

As a crossing guard, Allen has worked every morning while the kids are heading to school, and in the afternoons, when they kids leave from school. And in the front of the school, Bob, Corrine’s husband, is also working as a crossing guard. Bob just started this year, filling in for a previous crossing guard who left due to illness.

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Allen’s daily task is to keep the kids safe while keeping an eye on suspicious vehicles or activities in the area.

One could say Allen was born to serve. At age 14, Allen started to develop her watchful eye as a babysitter. Her mother was a nurse in the baby unit at Goodrich Hospital and at the age of 17, Allen began to work with infants in the hospital.

For the past 49 years, Allen could be found at the crosswalk on Airport Road and Van Syckle Avenue. Through rain and snow, and even a few health issues, Allen has not slowed down.

Allen’s hire date was Sept. 1, 1965. She has watched her children, grandchildren and currently her great-grandchild cross the crosswalk on Airport Road under her watchful eye.

Her first priority has always been the children, showering them with love and protecting them from danger.

“Safety first is so important to me,” said Allen. “Cars represent a real danger, especially if children are not paying attention to the road. ... I may not remember every child’s name, but I always remember their face and treat each child as if they were my own.”

Maki Vine and Sarah Frontier, elementary teachers at Waterford Village, presented Allen with a bouquet of flowers, a card, and a gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse on Friday. And children who she has guided over the years decorated her stop sign with stickers.

“Life is what you live it”, stressed Allen .

Allen has truly touched the lives of the Waterford Village Elementary students, faculty, parents and neighborhood.